GB2048056A

GB2048056A - Safety Helmet

Info

Publication number: GB2048056A
Application number: GB8013746A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: INT HELMETS AG
Current assignee: INT HELMETS AG
Priority date: 1979-04-25
Filing date: 1980-04-25
Publication date: 1980-12-10
Also published as: GB2048056B

Abstract

A safety helmet such as worn by motor cyclists and racing car drivers and having an integral rigid chin guard (2) and a visor (4) closing the front of the helmet, has a spoiler (6) depending below the chin guard which causes airflow to be deflected round the bottom of the chin guard so as to create a region of low pressure at the bottom of the helmet. The low pressure region encourages exhaled breath to pass out of the helmet. The spoiler may be integral with the chin guard or be a fixed or a releasable and/or adjustable attachment to the chin guard. An air mask may be provided which takes air from inside or directly from the outside of the helmet, and which may have an outlet which directs or takes exhaled breath to the low pressure region. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements Relating to Safety Helmets This invention relates to safety helmets of the kind having an integral rigid chin guard bounding the bottom of a frontal opening of the helmet, and a visor which in its operative position closes the frontal opening. Such helmets are hereinafter referred to as "of the kind described".

Safety helmets of the kind described are worn, for example, by motor cyclists and racing car drivers. A problem has been that the visor can become misted over by the exhaled breath of the wearer so that the wearer's view becomes obscured, which is highly undesirable and dangerous for the wearer whilst he is driving. If the wearer raises the visor he may be little better off whilst he is driving because he is subjected to the wind in his face and eyes, and there is the risk of his getting dust, grit, insects or other foreign matter in his eyes.

Furthermore recent research into motor cycling accidents has indicated that the wearer of a helmet of the kind described may be subjected to a build up inside the helmet of toxic gases (exhaled carbon dioxide and possibly exhaust fumes as well) which may reduce his mental awareness and even cause him to have halucinations. This may lead to loss of control by the wearer of his vehicle and an accident.

It is an aim of the present invention to overcome or at least reduce the aforesaid problems.

The present invention consists in a safety helmet of the kind described wherein the chin guard has a spoiler depending from it which is adapted to deflect airflow round the bottom of the chin guard in such manner that a region of low pressure is created at the bottom of the helmet which encourages exhaled breath of the helmet's wearer, and other gases, to pass out of the helmet.

As the exhaled breath is encouraged to pass out of the helmet there is a continued movement of air inside the helmet which reduces the possibility that the inside of the visor could become misted over and that toxic gases can build up inside the helmet and be harmful to the wearer.

The low pressure created by the spoiler has the effect, furthermore, of reducing or preventing the undesirable aerodynamic lift on the helmet to which hitherto known helmets have commonly been prone.

The spoiler may be integral with the chin guard or it may be a separate component attached at the bottom of the chin guard. It will normally be set back from the front face of the chin guard. In a preferred form the spoiler curves forwardly and downwardly from the chin guard, and its extends along the bottom of the chin guard as far as the sides of the main body of the helmet. The spoiler may take other forms if desired and it may be imperforate or it may be provided with one or more air vents which may assist in cooling the interior of the helmet and in ventilation.

Where the spoiler is a separate component it may be attached in a fixed position, or it may be attached for adjustment relative to the chin guard.

For example, the spoiler may be pivotally attached so that the angular adjustment about the pivotal axis the extent by which it depends from the chin guard may be varied, or to allow it to be moved into a raised retracted position in which it does not depend below the chin guard, for example, for ease of fitting and removing the helmet.

An air mask may be provided in the helmet which is adapted to fit over the mouth and nose of the wearer of the helmet, and has at least one inlet by way of which air passes into the mask for the wearer to breath. The inlet may include a oneway valve which allows air only to pass into the mask through the inlet and not out through the inlet as well. The inlet may receive air from the interior of the helmet, for example air which has entered into the helmet by way of one or more vents in the visor and/or chin guard. Alternatively, the inlet may be arranged to take air directly from the exterior of the helmet, for example by being connected to a port in the visor or chin guard.

Exhaled breath may be allowed simply to leave the mask around the edges of the mask. The breath is then drawn out of the helmet by the region of low pressure created by the spoiler.

Alternatively, the mask may have one or more outlets which direct or lead the exhaled breath to the low pressure region.

The use of an air mask further reduces the possibility of the visor's becoming misted over by the breath of the person wearing the helmet.

An embodiment of a safety helmet in accordance with the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which, Figure 1 is a side view of the helmet, Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section through the lower part of the front of the helmet, and Figure 3 is a fragmentary diagrammatic vertical section through the lower part of the front of the helmet showing a modification.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the safety helmet comprises a rigid body 1 of a generally known form and an integral rigid chin guard 2 which forms the bottom boundary of a frontal opening 3.

The body and chin guard have a suitable cushioning lining, not shown. A visor 4 is pivoted to the body and in its closed position extends entirely over the frontal opening 3, as shown in Figure 1, and seats on a sealing rubber or plastics cushion trim strap 5 extending round the edge of the opening, Figure 2.

Fixed in one position at the bottom of the chin guard 2 is a spoiler 6 whch depends below the chin guard. The spoiler extends along the bottom of the chin guard to the sides of the body 1. Its depth gradually diminishes towards the sides of the body. The spoiler 6, which may be made of a substantially rigid plastics material, has an upwardly projecting fixing flange 7,-Figure 2, by which it is fixed to the chin guard, for example by suitable adhesive and/or riveting, the flange lying against the inside surface of the chin guard, a substantially horizontally inwardly extending portion 8 at the level of the bottom edge of the chin guard, and a downwardly and forwardly curved portion 9 which is the part of the spoiler by means of which the required aerodynåmic effect is achieved.

When the helmet is being worn and the wearer is travelling forwards at speed, the depending curved portion 9 of the spoiler deflects air downwards. The movement of air round the bottom of the spoiler creates a region of low air pressure behind the spoiler at the bottom of the helmet. The low pressure region has the effect of drawing air and other gases downwards out of the helmet and of reducing or preventing aerodynamic lift of the helmet.

An air mask 10, Figure 2, made for example as a moulding of flexible plastics or rubber material, is mounted on the chin guard inside the helmet.

The mask is shaped and positioned to fit over the mouth and nose of the wearer of the helmet. At either side of the part of the mask which fits over the nose of the wearer there is an inlet 11 by way of which air passes into the mask for the wearer to breath. Each inlet 11 contains a one-way valve 12 of known kind in which a flexible membrane controls the air flow through the valve. A gauze or other suitable filter 13, is fitted in the entry to the inlet.

The visor has air vents 14 in it at the level of the inlets 12 of the mask 10 for air to pass into the helmet and to be taken into the mask through the inlets for the wearer to breath. The vents are also provided with gauze or other suitable filters which are primarily intended to prevent flames from entering into the helmet, should the need arise.

Exhaled breath leaves the mask around the sides and bottom of the mask and is drawn downwards by the low pressure region created behind the spoiler 6 to be expelled from the helmet. Other gases which may enter the helmet are also encouraged to pass out of the helmet by the effect of the low pressure region.

In the modification shown in Figure 3 the spoiler 6 is adjustable. The spoiler is of generally similar shape to the fixed spoiler described above and in its operative position, as shown, it extends along the bottom of the chin guard 2 to the sides of the body 1 of the helmet. It differs from the fixed spoiler in that it is attached at the ends of flange 7 by pivotal connections 1 5 to the sides of the body, and the flange has an outward step 1 6 formed in it. In the operative position of the spoiler the step 1 6 rests at the inside of the chin guard on a rubber or plastics cushion trim strip 1 7 extending around the bottom edge of the chin guard and the body, the engagement of the step with the trim strip defining the operative position of the spoiler.An inwardly set portion 1 8 of the flange directly below the step 16 makes rubbing contact with the inner side surface of the trim strip 1 7 and that contact serves to assist in locating the spoiler firmly in the operative position. The spoiler can be pivoted upwardly into a retracted position in which it is fully contained within the confines of the chin guard. To move it to that position the spoiler is manually pushed upwardly at the front to disengage the inwardly set portion 18 of the flange from the trim strip and then to swing the spoiler up behind the chin guard. The flange may move into rubbing engagement with another part of the chin guard, not shown, to retain the spoiler in the retracted position, or clips or other suitable fastenings may be provided for that purpose.

Preferably the spoiler is of a resilient plastics material which normally retains its shape but will distort and thus reduce the risk of its causing injury to the wearer if in the event of an accident the spoiler should be forced against the wearer's chest or either of his shoulders or collar bones. An upward force on the spoiler upon impact would in any event normally cause it to be pushed towards the retracted position, which would also assist in reducing the possibility of the spoiler causing injury to the wearer.

The wearer may move the spoiler to the etracted position, for example, for additional cooling in the helmet or to facilitate fitting and removal of the helmet.

It will be understood that when the adjustable spoiler described is provided in the helmet, the air mask cannot be mounted on the chin guard in the manner shown in Figure 2. However, it is still possible for the air mask to be provided; it may be attached to the chin guard near to the sides of the body above the level of the pivotal connections of the spoiler to the body.

One or more air vents may be provided in either of the forms of spoiler described, if desired.

In either form the spoiler may also be attached by releasable connections so that it may be releasably removed if required.

Claims

1. A safety helmet of the kind described wherein the chin guard has a spoiler depending from it which is adapted to deflect airflow round the bottom of the chin guard in such manner that a region of low pressure is created at the bottom of the helmet which encourages exhaled breath of the helmet's wearer, and other gases, to pass out of the helmet.

2. A safety helmet according to Claim 1 wherein the spoiler is integral with the chin guard.

3. A safety helmet according to Claim 1 wherein the spoiler is an attachment which depends from the chin guard.

4. A safety helmet according to Claim 3 wherein the spoiler is attached to the chin guard and/or the main body of the helmet by releasable fastening means

5. A safety helmet according to Claim 3 or Claim 4 wherein the spoiler is adjustable relative to the chin guard.

6. A safety helmet according to Claim 5 wherein the spoiler is pivotally attached to the chin guard and/or body and is angularly adjustable about the pivotal axis to vary the extent by which it depends from the chin guard.

7. A safety helmet according to Claim 5 wherein the spoiler is pivotally attached to the chin guard and/or body and is angularly movable about the pivotal axis between an operative position in which it depends from the chin guard and a raised position in which it does not depend below the chin guard.

8. A safety helmet according to Claim 7 wherein the spoiler has an outwardly stepped flange at its upper part which engages over a cushion trim strip at the bottom of the chin guard, the engagement of the flange with the trim strip defining the operative position of the spoiler.

9. A safety helmet according to Claim 8 wherein a portion of the flange makes rubbing contact with a side surface of the trim strip in the operative position of the spoiler thereby to assist in locating the spoiler firmly in the operative position.

10. A safety helmet according to any preceding claim wherein the spoiler is set back from the front face of the chin guard.

11. A safety helmet according to any preceding claim wherein the spoiler curves forwardly and downwardly from the chin guard.

12. A safety helmet according to any preceding claim wherein the spoiler extends along the bottom of the chin guard as far as the sides of the main body of the helmet.

13. A safety helmet according to any preceding claim wherein the spoiler diminishes in depth towards the sides of the helmet.

1 4. A safety helmet according to any preceding claim wherein the spoiler is provided with one or more air vents.

1 5. A safety helmet according to any preceding claim wherein an air mask is provided which is adapted to fit over the mouth and nose of the wearer of the helmet and has at least one inlet by way of which air passes into the mask for the wearer to breath.

1 6. A safety helmet according to Claim 1 5 wherein the inlet includes a one-way valve w.hich allows air only to pass into the mask through the inlet.

17. A safety helmet according to Claim 1 5 or Claim 1 6 wherein the inlet receives air from the interior of the helmet.

1 8. A safety helmet according to Claim 1 5 or Claim 1 6 wherein the inlet takes air directly from the exterior of the helmet by being connected to a port in the visor or in the chin guard.

1 9. A safety helmet according to any of Claims 1 5 to 1 8 wherein the mask has at least one outlet which directs or leads exhaled breath of the wearer to the low pressure region.

20. A safety helmet according to any of Claims 1 5 to 19 wherein the mask is mounted on the chin guard.

21. A safety helmet substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

22. A safety helmet substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by Figures 1 and 2 as modified by Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.